Crashes probed

Thursday, January 24, 2013

State police at Lehighton reported on the following crashes investigated by troopers.

A crash occurred about 2 p.m. on Jan. 13 along Blue Mountain Drive, in Lower Towamensing Township, Carbon County. Troopers said Andrew W. Rider, 19, of Bethlehem, was driving a 1999 Chevrolet Prizm northbound when he struck the rear of a 2003 Subaru Outback. Rider was not injured.

A one vehicle crash occurred about 8:05 a.m. on Jan. 16 along SR534, in the area of Lower Middle Creek Rd., in Polk Township, Monroe County. Troopers said Karen Zacharias, 47, of Kunkletown, was eastbound when she lost control on a slushy roadway. Her Ford Escape spun 180 degrees in a counter-clockwise direction with the right side striking a tree. Zacharias was injured and taken to the Pocono Medical Center, East Stroudsburg, by West End ambulance.

Another crash occurred on Jan. 16 about 10:53 a.m. in the 600 block of Burger Hollow Road, in Polk Township. Troopers said Ann Marie Diaz, 43, of Kunkletown, was northbound and approaching a left hand turn when she observed a pickup truck, with plow attached, partially in her lane.

She swerved to the right and lost control of her car, which began to spin in a counter-clockwise direction across both lanes of travel. The vehicle went onto the berm and struck a telephone pole. Diaz was not injured but her vehicle had to be towed.

Troopers investigated a crash about 12:15 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, along Golf Road, in Lower Towamensing Township, Carbon County. Troopers said Sean F. Leindecker, 27, of Bethlehem, was operating a 2001 Ford Taurus eastbound near Fireline Road, when he lost control of the car. The car left the road and struck a boulder head-on, spun clockwise, and came to rest.

Leindecker was not injured but his passenger, Holly Getz, 27, of Weatherly, was injured and taken to the Lehighton hospital. The vehicle had to be towed from the scene.

Another crash occurred on Saturday, about 2 a.m., along Upper Smith Gap Road, in Eldred Township, Monroe County. Troopers said Scott M. Emrick, 21, of Bangor, was driving a 1996 Ford 350 truck eastbound when it went onto the berm and side-swiped a cable guard rail. It then traveled back onto the road crossing both lanes and going onto the opposite berm where it struck an embankment and overturned, coming to rest in a creek.

Emrick left the scene prior to the arrival of troopers. He was cited for traffic violations, troopers added.